


Ami no Koi: Ripples

by theechosea



Series: The Cat Divergence [6]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (TV)
Genre: Ami is a mopey Ami, F/M, PGSM-ification of BSSM events, Romance, Self-Loathing, senshi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-05-08
Packaged: 2018-01-23 20:27:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1578458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theechosea/pseuds/theechosea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This mirrors some of the BSSM events in episode 27 (those not covered in Ami no Koi), most notably Urawa leaving and is set around the time of PGSM episodes 17/18 when things are going down hill.  </p><p>Ami and the senshi rescued Urawa and since then his friendship with Ami has blossomed but now he has some dreadful news and it couldn't come at a worse time. The senshi appear to be falling apart and Ami is not in a good place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“So,” Makoto says, as she and I walk down the high street through the shopping district. Then she doesn’t say anything for a while, apparently expecting me to pick up the conversation.  
We’re by ourselves, leaving from school on the way to CROWN as Usagi has detention with Haruna-sensei for being late. She had been on time fairly well recently, but today didn’t manage it, and so Haruna-sensei told her she would have detention as a reminder to keep up the better habits. I wonder if Makoto is trying to talk to me about the situation with Usagi and Mamoru that has been troublesome lately and then there are things with Venus, and Rei, and everyone really.  
“So?” I ask, scraping loose hair back behind my ears.  
“I never asked how it was going with Urawa-kun…”  
I feel my face flush, and look down at the bag of wool for a moment, trying to regain composure, “It…I…it’s okay, I suppose.”  
“You suppose?” she seems indignant about this fact, “Are you guys talking? Does he like you?”  
“Yes, and um…well he says he does.”  
“Then things are going okay,” she says, with a triumphant nod.  
I can’t say anything.  
“How many dates have you gone on?”   
“D-dates?” CROWN is in sight now, only a few more steps and maybe Luna will be there and have some way that I can avoid the rest of this conversation.  
“Y-yes,” she teases, “You know where you meet up and go off by yourself, some place nice, maybe some kissing…Ami-chan, are you alright?” she pats me on the shoulder, “I’ve never seen a person go so red!” she exclaims, “I'm sorry—are you sure you’re okay?”  
I nod slowly, trying not to choke on my own tongue from the force of her pat, “No, it’s okay…I…just…we’re not really doing things like that…” I amend, “It’s…there’s…um…so, have you come up with anything about Chiba-san?” I try to find something that might turn the conversation around, away from me, “What about Motoki-onii-san? Didn’t you and he go somewhere?”  
“Oh, that…that was just…” she stops, because we’re walking down the steps to the karaoke center, and he is there, waving a picture of something at Kamakichi and she apparently doesn’t want to continue while he’s there.  
He looks up as the door shuts behind us, his face breaking into a wide smile upon seeing Makoto. She reaches into her pocket and I dig in my bag for my pass, “I think I know who you guys are!” he declares, causing Makoto and I to exchange worried glances and look over at him in question.  
“What?” Makoto asks.  
“Annual passes!” he says, beaming, “Don’t worry about it. I can count; the year is far from over.”  
“Oh!” Makoto answers.   
“Thank you,” I tell him, and we hurry past towards the door to our room, straining to make sure he’s distracted with Kamakichi again, before going inside.  
“One of these days he’s going to see us,” Makoto grimaces.  
“Only because he’s watching you,” I answer, and then colour realizing what I just said.  
She laughs at me.  
“But what about Usagi-chan…” I say.  
Makoto grimaces, and then looks around, “Hey, you know, Valentine’s Day is coming up, isn’t it? Maybe you should get Urawa-kun something…”   
“Mako-chan!” I say, horrified, “It’s not like that…besides helping Usagi-chan is more important isn’t it?”   
“Where’s Rei-chan anyway?” she asks.   
I sigh, “She’s been in and out only occasionally since what happened at the church the other day…”  
“She knows something about the princess…” Makoto surmises, then she looks at her watch, “I’m going to see...about something. Try to pigeon-hole some information out of Rei-chan if she comes in,” she says, and runs back up the stairs, grabbing her jacket as she does so.  
My phone rings—Usagi has texted explaining something’s come up and she won’t make it after all when detention is over. I try not to sigh, and look for something to do, getting out my knitting again to finish that. I remember Usagi having been so gung-ho about the assignment, but her interest seems to have dropped off. We all seem to be drifting apart, and we have so much work to do. Luna’s not even here today.  
My phone rings again, I expect it to be Rei calling to say, she too is busy, and am preparing to explain that it’s alright because Makoto and Usagi aren’t here anyway, but it’s a male voice on the other end, “U-Urawa-kun?”   
“Mizu-chan,” he says, sounding a little hoarse, “Can I talk to you? It’s really important…I’m not interrupting anything am I?”  
“Only my knitting,” I admit, “What is it? Are you sick? You don’t sound too good…” my stomach falls over, dropping to my shoes.  
“No…” he says, sounding unconvincing, “Meet me where we had coffee the first time? Can you?”  
I chew on my lip for a moment and then relent I somehow doubt anyone is actually going to show up for the meeting and knowing my luck some youma will show up while I'm out. Maybe I'll get some information that way, “Alright,” I say, “I can be there in about ten minutes.”  
“I’ll see you then,” and he hangs up.  
I finish my row, my thoughts racing, scribble a hasty and apologetic note, that I have my doubts anyone except perhaps Luna will read, pack my things up and head over to the coffee shop, which is only a couple of streets away.

 


	2. Chapter 2

When I get to the coffee shop Urawa is already there. He has a table by the window to keep a look-out for me, I suppose. He stands up when I enter and waves. He looks sullen rather than sick. I order a tea. He’s already drinking a coffee.  
“I wasn’t sure what to get you,” he apologizes, “I didn’t want…” and he tails off, toying with the handle of his coffee mug, and then playing with a packet of artificial cream. He didn't want to try and predict anything about me. We've had talks about that and him acknowledging that it's rude, though he worries and I understand that too. I worry about him. That him having been a target before will bring something again.   
“What’s going on?” I ask. I’m hesitant to suggest he might’ve had another vision. We’ve been rather short with each other, over his persistence about Kunzite.  
“I…” he pauses, looking out of the window, anywhere rather than me.  
I look around, hoping the waitress will return and save me from suffocating under the silence, and the look in his eyes. She does not.   
“U-Urawa-kun…” I say, hesitantly reaching my hand towards his across the table, my fingers are barely a millimeter away from his hand when he turns back to me and I jump, knocking over the salt pot.  
“I'm sorry!” he says, sweeping it up with his napkin and throwing it over his shoulder, thankfully not hitting the people behind us, “don’t look so worried…” he says, half-heartedly, “It’s not your fault. I…” and then after taking a deep breath he says very quickly, “My father’s been transferred. It was a really sudden thing. His company is paying for us to move. They apparently have a house set up for us and everything. We’re—we're have to be there by the end of the week.”  
I pause, my heart seems to have managed to somehow slide up my throat and stop beating. I want to say something, but in its new place it’s cutting off my ability to speak.  
He looks away again for a moment, and then takes my hand and squeezes it. I realize it was shaking. I look down at our hands gripped together tightly, and manage to swallow strongly enough that my heart goes back to where it should be, “When?”   
“Thursday…the day after tomorrow…it was the only time he could get tickets.”  
“Where to?”  
“Okinawa,” he says.   
I look down. Well, there we are then.  
“Don’t look like that…” he says, “Please…it’s not as though we’d never see each other again. We have relatives here so we’ll definitely come back for visits, and I wouldn’t be averse to sneaking off from that and visiting you—if you weren’t busy…” he stops, looking beyond me for a moment.  
“Urawa-kun…” I say, softly, “We’re so young…you shouldn’t…”  
“I can’t say as friends, Mizu-chan…” he tells me, looking at me firmly, “besides, once it gets to high school…I can tell them I want to come back here. The schools here have to be so much better than the ones in Okinawa.”   
I shake my head, biting my lip hard, and looking down, “It’s alright,” I say, “I can’t let you dictate your future around me. We’re too young for that. I’m happy for your family to have such a good promotion.”  
“I know you have to have a computer. We can email. Stay in touch. Those nifty phones of yours probably get great minute plans, right?” he manages to make me giggle in spite for everything.  
Everyone’s fracturing. Usagi’s prospect with Mamoru because of Hina. His family is moving now. Rei is never around. Makoto…usually chasing around after Usagi trying to make sure she doesn’t give up on Mamoru, and not taking Motoki out, just going places with him to find out about Mamoru and we have no idea what's going on with the Princess.   
I should have known it wouldn’t last.  
“Maybe we should go some place else,” he says, standing up, still holding onto my hand. He pays for my tea and his coffee, and I follow him slowly down towards the park a few blocks away, “I don’t want to move,” he says, “I think it’s stupid. I could stay here with relatives, but my parents don’t want to break up the family. I told them my schooling would suffer. They didn’t listen.”  
“You shouldn’t say things like that,” I tell him.  
“It’s true,” he says, with a quirky smile, “I am psychic. I know these things.”  
I shake my head, “Being with your family is very important, Urawa-kun. I-I think it’s very sweet of them to want to keep you with them.”  
He flushes, “Gomen,” he says, “I forgot…about your mother…”  
“It’s okay. You have a lot on your mind.”  
He looks down; looking around the area we’re walking in. It’s part of my route from CROWN back to my apartment, “Have you ever fought the... _shittenou_ here?” he asks, leaning in low towards my face and dropping his voice, given there are other students from our school walking around.  
I glance around, shaking my head, “No. I haven’t. I don’t know about the others.”  
“No, it was you.”  
I close my eyes, “Well…I haven’t.”  
When I open them again I’m expecting him to look triumphant, given he’s been trying to tell me on and off for a while that what he’s been seeing wasn’t when I went ahead of the others to rescue Usagi from Kunzite, but instead he looks more upset than when I first saw him at the coffee shop.  
“Urawa-kun…” I say, “What’s wrong?”  
“Ami-chan,” he says, softly, moving towards me, we walk to the edge of the bridge and look down. He doesn’t say anything for a while, “Please…promise me something.”  
I look over at him, “Well…that depends what it is,” I say.  
“What do you mean?”  
I can’t help myself, “I thought you were supposed to be the psychic one. You tell me.” I press my hands against the wall of the bridge and lean on them a little, shifting from foot to foot.  
“I’m not going to ask you to promise to wait for me…” he says, “even though it would be nice.”  
I look down at my hands, “I didn’t…don’t…didn’t even want to date anyone in the first place,” I point out.  
“That makes me feel great.”  
I flush, “You know what I meant…” I counter, hoping he does. It really didn’t sound that good coming out of my mouth, but I couldn’t think of another way to say it, “I never thought I could…or would want to…you know…I didn’t think I would manage, or really that anyone would ever want to be around me, that way…the way you do.”  
“All the more reason why I don’t want to leave,” he says.  
“But we’re young,” I counter, “there’s middle school to finish, high school and university, people change partners, change their minds all the time. You’ll be in Okinawa and meet someone far better than me…”   
“No, I won’t,” he says, “I couldn’t, possibly.”  
“I wasn’t saying it to make you compliment me,” I tell him, “I was speaking logically, besides I could get killed by the Dark Kingdom next week.”  
He winces, and closes his eyes, “D-don’t say things like that.”  
“It’s been really nice, Urawa-kun. I have enjoyed spending time with you, even if Mako-tachi tease me mercilessly…when I see them…but if you’re moving away,” before I can back out of it, I lean over and wrap my arms around of him and hug him tightly, “then I’ll say goodbye to you.”   
“We’re not moving until Thursday,” he counters, “I’ll be in school tomorrow, if I finish packing. Say you’ll come and see me off at least?”  
We break apart from the hug, “Well, goodbye for today then,” I say, and hurry off back towards my apartment, trying not to cry.


	3. Chapter 3

Urawa catches me between classes and lunch, the next day, as I'm making my way towards the roof, "It's not as though I'm moving to America," he says, "Europe or somewhere like that. Okinawa is very close."  
"I know," I answer, looking at my shoes.  
"You could come to visit--during a break from school."  
I feel my face flush, "Do you know how inappropriate and imp..." I trail off, swallowing my sentence.  
He frowns, "I'm sorry. I forgot your duty."  
I can't help but look at him incredulously. For a moment I wonder how he could forget--but that's so selfish. He's been busy packing to move of course it wouldn't be the first thing on his mind, "besides," I counter trying to salvage, "Mama would never allow it."  
"You are coming to the station to see me off?" he asks, hopefully, "pending youma attack," he adds at a whisper.  
I look down again, "What time?"   
He tells me and we separate. I go on up to eat my lunch. I want to be by myself with this. I don't want to try and talk about it with Usagi and Makoto. I don't want to cry in school. I'm finding it hard to concentrate on my reading, and part of me can't help but wonder if my concentration will improve, go back to normal even once Urawa is gone. I shouldn't be pursuing such a thing anyway--there are so many more important things like school, my duty as a senshi--which everyone else seems to be ignoring. I shouldn't think like that. I close my book and look down at my sandwich. I'm losing my appetite.  
I thought we were supposed to be a team. The fours of us looking for the Princess.  
I realize I have no idea whatsoever about what Rei's doing. She has always been very keen to work by herself--she could get into trouble though. Makoto follows Usagi around, or...and yet Luna, she insists to me that we are a team. We will go to Rei's and she is not there. The others will say they are going to meet at CROWN with us and then call and cancel.  
I should be used to this--on the other hand, at least they're considerate enough to call--others have done this before, and just left me waiting. I had allowed myself to believe this time would be different. Perhaps I should do something for myself, but I wouldn't want to use Urawa so, besides he will-he will go to Okinawa and things will be fine. He will forget me as he meets new friends and closer girls, and perhaps I will stop thinking about him as well, so it will not hurt so much.

That afternoon and evening pass in a strange haze as though I'm dreaming. Rei and Makoto have another argument both leave me alone at CROWN. Luna explains some things mostly to herself as though she's not sure I'm even there. I wonder if I should go after any of the others--pursue an answer to the reason they keep leaving, then I think I don't want to interrupt them--and I might not want to know the answer, either.   
I pack up my knitting for the next day, and tell Luna I may be a little late tomorrow. She gives a little shrug and says that somehow she doesn't think it will matter.  
"We'll all be together again," I tell her, but by now I'm only half-believing that it will happen, without me raiding my mother's cupboards and tranquilizing everyone so that they stay still.

_I'm running down corridors calling for people, but my voice is stolen and no sound comes out._   
_I find myself trapped behind a glass beating on it, water pooling up around me, still I have no voice. Through the glass I can see Usagi and Makoto running in circles, while Rei, arms folded, glowers at them. I throw myself at the glass trying to attract their attention, but still there is no sound, except for Rei who seems to be chiding the other two with mathematical equations. Usagi is singing, "Kagome...Kagome..."_   
_The glass prison I'm in tips over and I realize it was an hourglass as the water starts to drain away. I hope this means I'll be able to push my way out of the top, but then someone picks me and the glass up and sets it back on it's end I find myself being flushed down, water smothering me. I think I should transform into Mercury and then I could will the water away from me. I move my hands to start to henshin and the water pushes through my mouth and I can't breathe._

I wake up sweating, coughing, out of breath. It's the most vivid dream I've had since the one where Makoto, looking about twenty or so, dressed in a strangely familiar, but not exact version of her Jupiter fuku rescued me from some giant plant spiders. It takes me a few moments to collect myself and when I do I hear my mother bustling about in the kitchen. I wonder what time it is...and decide I probably won't get back to sleep anyway so go out to see her.

As I step out into the kitchen, shouldering on my robe, and blinking against the brightness of the light, Mama looks over at me, "You don't normally rouse," she says, "Was I being too loud? Is everything alright?"   
"You're quiet as always," I answer, "I couldn't sleep."  
"What's wrong?" she says, setting down the noodle spoon to feel my forehead, "You're not warm...is something bothering you? Did someone at school--? You don't need them. You do fine on your own. We always do."  
"I'm not sick."  
Mama nods, "Of course not. Mama is a doctor," she picks up the spoon again, and stirs the noodles, "So, what is it?" she lifts the spoon to taste the noodles and adjusts the heat, "You're not worried about my trip, are you?"  
I had completely forgotten about that. I wash the startled look from my face quickly. She's off on a teaching circuit, lecturing at some medical schools in Europe, "No, it's not that. I--" I search my mind; which is bothering me more--I was dreaming about my friends, but...  
"I have a friend--who is moving away this week--to Okinawa."  
"Tsukino-san?" she inquires.   
Now I realize I have not had the opportunity to mention Urawa to her before. I shake my head becoming embarrassed, "No. U-Urawa Ryu..."  
She echoes the name back to me, tapping the side of the bowl with the spoon, "a boy," she says, sounding disappointed.  
I move to the side so she can drain the noodles in the sink. I have a fleeting thought she will drag me to the closet and make me cleanse myself like the scary mother in the Stephen King novel I once read, but she just looks so disappointed, as she drains her noodles and puts soy sauce on them. She retrieves the dressing and vegetables I put aside for her from where they've been heating in the microwave and puts them over the noodles without saying anything. The silence continues until she sits down. I'm reminded of the time I asked her to tell me about my father.  
"Ami," she says, finally, "You think it's not best this moves away? If he's causing you such a problem as sleeplessness..."  
I chew on my lip for a moment, toying with the edge of the counter. Part of me wants to leap on Urawa's defense, and say he's not like that and it's not like that, and that she hasn't met him, and no, really it's unfair--but what she says is exactly what I was thinking this morning.  
"The time for boys is much later," she says.  
She puts her chopsticks down and waves me over to her, and then she brushes my face, "You're my smart girl, ne?" she says, "Things will be fine. A week from now you won't even miss him," she brushes some hair back from my face, "Now go to bed. You need sleep before school tomorrow."  
I nod, but even though I go back to my room. I lay awake, staring at the ceiling. I try instead to get up and read for class tomorrow, review some English phrases, and some dates for history, but I can't concentrate on that either.  
Maybe it is best.


	4. Chapter 4

Today is the day.

I am unhappy as I walk into school. Usagi-chan is talking about something to do with Mamoru but I can't keep up with what she's actually saying. I feel terrible at the same time it annoys me that she hasn't noticed. I want to scream about it and that bothers me too. I've never felt like this about someone. Is this how she feels about Mamoru? That must be why this bothers her so much then. I should stop being so selfish.

“I'm sorry, Usagi-chan. I didn't sleep well. I missed half of what you're saying.”

She looks upset for a moment and then shakes her head, “Maybe I'm being silly. Love can be fleeting and if things are meant to be...” she smiles, “Right?”

I nod.

“How are things with you and Urawa-kun?” she asks, but Haruna-sensei is already at the front of class when we come in and there is no more time to talk. I take my seat on the opposite side of the classroom. I wonder, briefly, if I could text her and tell her what's going on. That would certainly be easier but we're in class and that is not the time.

Urawa is leaving an hour after school is out so he's only going to be on campus for half the day. It's me who is not going to make it to the meeting this time. I feel both guilty and justified—but what if they need me? Do they actually need me? There's part of me who actually wants to sneak out of school and go to Urawa's house to spend more time with him before he leaves and the rest of me is sitting shocked in the corner at the impropriety.

Usagi pounces on me to sit with her and Naru at lunch and I do, though I still don't feel as close to Naru, especially with everything that happened so recently—there's so much we can't tell her and if I start talking about Urawa I fear that Usagi will ramble too much and inadvertently spill our secret identities.

“You're quieter than normal, Ami-chan,” Naru says, quietly under the cover of Usagi babble.

“Mama's going on another trip,” I tell her, it's not entirely a lie, “This one's a long one. I guess I'm feeling weird about it for some reason.”

“I'm sure you're mother will be fine,” she says.

“Eh?” Usagi turns, “What's wrong with your, Mom?”

“Oh, nothing,” I shake my head, “She's just going to Europe for several months,” I shake my head, pulling together a smile, “It's fine. I'm just...there's been a lot going on all around.”

Naru nods, “The weird monsters and things? It's freaky,” she wraps me in a sideways hug so suddenly I go into shock. I did not realize that Naru considered me that way. She's been friends with Usagi so much longer, “but there's those soldiers,” she says, “Have you seen them? Sailor Moon? And there are others too. They're protecting us. I think they have it all under control.”

It takes all I have not to burst into tears.

 

I excuse myself after class and take a bus to the train station. Right as the bus pulls in I get a text from Urawa asking if I'm going to make it and I get to tell him that I'm right there. He's at the entry way waiting for me and as I climb up the steps trying to not look to anxious a harried older woman appears behind him.

“Ryu!” she says, and then stops and surveys me critically.

I'm harmless and innocent and not at all dangerous I repeat mentally. I have in no way shape or form brought your son to mortal danger.

“Oh!” she says, after a moment, “You must be Mizuno Ami? Ryu-chan talks about you often.”

I feel myself go red from my scalp to the tips of my toes.

“I see what you mean,” Mrs. Urawa remarks, elbowing Urawa in the ribs. I take consolation in the fact that he's almost as red as me at this point.

“Mama,” he complains, softly.

“Oh-oh,” she nods, “Yes. I will go check on your father and leave you be.”

“I'm sorry about that,” he says.

“No, it's fine. She's very sweet,” I tell him, “I'm glad that she is not upset by me.”

“Why would she be upset?” he asks.

“I...wasn't sure she would approve.”

“Why would she--?” and then he stops and offers me his hand. I accept and he leads me across the station towards a vending machine, “Can I buy you a drink?” he asks, “It'll be the last time I get to do that for a while and I'm going to miss White Day...”

I manage a smile, “That would be very nice, thank you.”

“Isn't she polite?” I hear Mrs. Urawa on the other side of the vending machine and a voice that I deduct is Mr. Urawa scolding her quietly and ushering her away.

Urawa mouths an apology again as he hands me the fruit juice. I shouldn't be surprised that he remembered my favourite flavour I suppose.

“I wish I wasn't going,” he says, softly.

“It'll be great for you, surely,” I say.

He shakes his head, “No, it won't. I know it won't.”

I set my satchel down so that I can rub his arm, “Don't...” I hesitate, trying to figure out the best way to say it, “Don't go in thinking like that. Just because you see those things doesn't mean you can't change it.”

He sighs.

“You helped us with some things...”

“But Kunzite--” he starts, “You don't believe me about that.”

“I believe you saw it.” I tell him, quietly “But I'm hopeful that the threat from him has passed; but still you told me about it because you believe that we can change it—I'm aware now and I can tell the others“

“You haven't told them yet?” he clamps down on the volume of his voice part way into that sentence. I worry that his parents will come running over because of his tone, but the station is loud and anyone around us doesn't seem to care.

“I've spoken to Luna. I—I've hardly seen the others lately,” I admit and then the look in his eyes terrifies me.

“Please,” he says, taking my hand tightly in his, “Please get them together and get everything sorted out. Please—if you're all separate then...” he shudders, and then he hugs me tightly, “I'm afraid that we'll lose you.”

It's like ice courses through me and I become frozen to the spot part way into hugging him back. He is so scared for me. For the longest time I never thought anyone—in particular a boy—would feel like that. No one except Mama.

“I don't intend to go anywhere,” I tell him, “but I also—I mean, you tell us these things so that we can change what happens—but you say you see bad things up at your school and you don't want to--”

“Not bad the way your things might be,” he says.

“Still bad for you—you can use that information to make things better for yourself.”

He looks down, “I suppose so,” he says, “but I have to admit I hope if it's bad for me there they'll send me back here.”

I feel my face blushing more, “Please don't ruin something good for yourself over me.”

“You're good for me,” he says, and he hesitates staring at me for a moment before leaning down and kissing me on the cheek.

I almost fall over.

“Ryu! Ryu-kun!” his mother's voice helps me stay on my feet as she walks a little closer, “I'm sorry but the train is only a few minutes away now.”

I nod in her direction and start to move away but he keeps hold of my hand, squeezing tightly.

She comes over and puts her hand on his shoulder.

“It looks as though I have to go,” he says, reluctantly.

“It's okay,” his mother says, “You can keep in touch via email, if you wish, yes?”

I nod.

“I think Ryu-kun might have your phone number as well?” she says, with a wink that puts me in mind of Usagi-chan's mother. Mama would be in shock at the idea.

I nod, slowly, “It's very nice to meet you, Urawa-sama.”

“You are so very formal and cute,” she tells me, “I know we'll be back in the area soon. We would like have dinner with you if that's okay.”

I don't know that it will be, but I imagine that it won't happen either, “I would have to get permission, but thank you very much for the invitation.”

“You're most welcome,” she says with a quirky smile, “Now, now, come on Ryu-kun, your father will have an embolism if we're not over there in the next minute.”

“Of course,” he says, and he squeezes my hand and then kisses me on the cheek again, “I hope to be in touch soon. I will miss you, Mizu-chan.”

“I look forward to hearing from you,” I tell him, “I...will miss you too.” I make myself kiss him on the other cheek despite how nervous I feel and he smiles at me.

“It will all be fine,” he says, and then we release hands and he walks away with his arm around his mother towards the train and his father.

I can't bring myself to stand there and watch it roll away. It's not as though this is a romance novel where the man will decide at the last minute to not get on the train and come running across the platform. He's moving with his family and no matter what he says or wants he will stay with them. As I'm starting to turn he comes back over with his mother who is complaining a little.

“Alright, alright!” she says.

“Mizu-chan,” he says, “Mama has agreed to take our picture. If that's alright?”

I'm confused for a moment. The words don't make sense. He may have been speaking Korean. I'm not sure. Then I see his mother holding Urawa's phone. It's flipped open and a familiar light is on.

“Picture?” I inquire, sounding silly.

“Yes, please,” he says, “Will you?”

I nod, and he puts an arm around me and he tickles me slightly which makes me giggle, but I'm grateful having pictures taken makes me nervous I would have looked to serious.

“Very cute.” His mother says, “I will—well, Ryu-kun can send you a copy.”

“Thank you very much,” I tell her.

He kisses me on the cheek again, and then he is truly gone.

 


End file.
